The onset of winter divides opinion: for some it is a time of increased cost of living and a daily life with less optionality; for others it is eagerly anticipated as a time of celebration, festivities and the possibility of winter sports. Winter rewards some and punishes others.

But there is perhaps unity in the idea that this time of year can showcase the world at its visual best. For filmmakers, snow offers an extra character for free and that is something we have always embraced. It is a time to be in the field and not huddled by the fireplace watching movies. 

This image of a large bull moose in the sage flats in Teton National Park has an emphatic sense of winter and that was my goal. It had snowed about six inches the night before and the photograph, taken around 07.30am, is elevated by the fresh snow cover and the sign of an early winter storm lifting. There is no better time to photograph than at the end of a snowfall; the flat light enhances the ethereal splendour of what the storm has left behind.

We have learnt a great deal about moose behaviour and we know each situation is different. They can be extremely dangerous animals and should not be approached. This photograph was taken after three days monitoring the behaviour of this specific bull.

~ David Yarrow